Why study BA (Hons) Computer Games (Art) transcript

00:00 - 0:21:22

Game Art course here at Solent is a fantastic course. We're one of the few courses in the country that actually specialises in game art.

Course Leader, Nick Hampton is talking to camera, overlaid with images of student 3d game art work, including buildings, futuristic apartments, and a fantasy image of an elf character.

0:21:22 - 0:36:14

The game art course at Solent is here to train students, to become functioning game artists within the game industry. We focus on 3D environment art, we also focus on 3D character art.

Senior Lecturer, Drew Cattanach is talking to camera, overlaid with images of student 3d game art work, including fantasy image of warrior character, a charecter that looks like Keanu Reeves.

0:36:14 - 0:48:34

Three years dedicated to learning 3D art for games, so by the time they graduate from here they're going to be specialists which means they should be able to go out, get a job in the industry and have all the experience and expertise that they need to succeed.

Course Leader, Nick Hampton is talking to camera, overlaid with video of students working at a computer.

0:48:34- 1:00:43

I really like doing the 3D sculpting - so it's more like organic pieces that I've been working on, using a tablet to actually draw out on the computer, assets to be used in game.

Computer Games (Art) student, Tia is talking to camera, overlaid with images of student 3d game art work, including a sculpture of a buddha.

1:00:43 - 1:19:22

The thing I enjoy doing is actually making 3D models using softwares like Maya and 3ds Max. You can create objects from using reference sheets and that's something I really enjoy doing - is creating a base model, adding details to it, then eventually texturing it then, adding it into a game engine to see how it works.

Computer Games (Art) student, Jamie, is talking to camera, overliad with images of students working at a computer working on object art.

1:19:22 - 1:41:18

We focus on the two major pipelines you find in game development of the environment pipeline, which includes landscapes, buildings, cars, props, anything which will create a living breathing game world. And then also we focus on the character pipeline and that is where you create engaging characters for the games that you're creating.

Senior Lecturer, Drew Cattanach is talking to camera, overlaid with images of student 3d game art work, including a futuristic office, a planet in space, a game with a character of a cat with sword, and a fantasy character that looks like Medusa.

1:41:18 - 1:55:32

When I started, I didn't have a good idea of how the industry worked but now like, that's a big part of the course. I've definitely learned a lot more about it. I've learned more about what software the industry use as standard.

Computer Games (Art) student, Tia is talking to camera.

1:55:32 - 2:10:36

So, before Solent, I had no idea on what sort of career path I wanted to do within the gaming industry. Since studying at Solent, I've now realised that I want to become a game artist specifically a prop artist. So, I enjoy making unique assets within games and that's the sort of route I would like to go down.

Computer Games (Art) student, Jamie, is talking to camera.

2:10:36 - 2:30:16

We as lecturers, the staff who are teaching you, we all have experience within the games industry. We've all come, from at one point in time, from the industry. So, we are effectively providing you with the knowledge that we have learned over our years in industry to help you move forward.

Senior Lecturer, Drew Cattanach is talking to camera.

2:30:16 - 2:42:00

So from playing games I've always wondered how game assets have been imported into games and from doing the photogrammetry module I've realised how things are done. It's something I've not done before and I found it very interesting.

Computer Games (Art) student, Jamie, is talking to camera, overlaid with video of students working in the photogrammetry studio.

2:42:00 - 2:55:38

We did a collaboration module where we actually made a game with the programming course - so we actually learned how it would work in an actual studio. So that was really interesting and it was good to see how the different parts work together.

Computer Games (Art) student, Tia is talking to camera, overlaid with students working as a team in the games studio.

2:55:38 - 3:11:28

Our goal, as a games course, is to prepare our students for work in the games industry. We can support this through having industry come to the university, to talk to our students, portfolio reviews, to guide our students.

Senior Lecturer, Drew Cattanach is talking to camera, overlaid with video of the student event with industry guest speakers.

3:11:28 - 3:31:05

So one thing we really pride ourselves on our games courses, is that we welcome in a broad range of students. We understand that creativity needs to be encouraged, we need to kind of, give students a safe space in which to learn, be encouraged to develop themselves as people and as artists, coders and designers and we give them that space - and it's something very proud of.

Course Leader, Nick Hampton is talking to camera, overlaid with video of students working at a computer.

3:31:05 - 3:36:00

Image fades to white, a red wave animation appears, and revels the red circle of the Southampton Solent University logo.